The present invention relates generally to jigs and fixtures and particularly to installation jigs for facilitating the installation of a lock in a door. More particularly, the invention relates to installation jigs that provide for installing a lockset in either a wood door or a metal door, provides for readily and easily selecting the proper backset, and automatically aligns a latch guide with the center of the door edge for drilling a latch hole.
Installation jigs for installing locksets are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,891 to Fridman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,115 to Shouse, U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,845 to Goldstein et al., and U.S. Pat No. 5,116,170 to Palmer et al. all relate to installation jigs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,891 to Fridman relates to a drill guide and method for installing a door lock. However, Fridman""s drill guide is limited to drilling transverse holes and does not provide for drilling a latch hole in the edge of the door. Moreover, Fridman""s drill guide must be held in position manually or the installer must carry a clamp for the purpose. Unfortunately, a clamp is both inconvenient to carry and awkward to use while trying to hold the guide in the proper position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,115 to Shouse relates to a door template for use with a drill and a router. Shouse""s template is limited to routing out a recess for receiving the edge plate of a latch. In addition, Shouse""s guide must be held in place manually or the installer must use a clamp. U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,845 to Goldstein et al. relates to an adjustable drill guide for door handles and locks. Unfortunately, the guide holes for drilling the latch hole in the door edge can only accommodate a door having a particular thickness, and a second drill guide must be used for a second door having a different thickness. In addition, the drill guide uses interchangeable plates to provide guide holes for the transverse holes. If different backsets are required, the installer must partially disassemble the drill guide and reassemble the guide with a different plate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,170 to Palmer et al. relates to a drill jig for preparing a door to receive a cylindrical lock. However, Palmer""s jig is only useful for drilling holes to accommodate through-bolts to retain a lockset in place. Moreover, a transverse hole must first be bored in the door, presumably using another jig, before Palmer""s drill jig can be used.
To overcome the above-recited deficiencies, self-clamping jigs for drilling both transverse holes and latch holes have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,125 to Livick relates to a door lock drilling template and includes drill guides both for a transverse hole and a latch hole. Unfortunately, there is no provision for adjusting the position of the latch hole drill guide to accommodate doors with different thicknesses. Livick""s template is configured to accommodate a 1xc2xe-inch thick door and requires a shim to accommodate a standard 1xe2x85x9c-inch thick residential interior door. In addition, although the transverse hole drill guides can be moved to accommodate various backsets, to do so the guides must be removed from the template, repositioned, and reassembled on the template, which is inconvenient and provides an opportunity to misalign the guides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,411 to Kessinger et al. relates to a door lock drill assembly. Kessinger et al. disclose drill guides for both transverse holes and latch holes but is designed for use on a conventional exterior door. The ""411 patent does not disclose any adjustment mechanism for accommodating doors with different thicknesses. In order to accommodate a standard interior door, which is thinner than an exterior door, an adapter must be installed on the assembly to properly align the latch guide. It is inconvenient to carry an adapter, which can be lost or misplaced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,823 to Nashlund relates to a boring and routing jig for cylindrical doorknob assemblies. Nashlund does not disclose any provision for changing the backset. Instead, Nashlund discloses changeable templates, which are subject to possible improper installation and misalignment. Moreover, the method of aligning the latch guide is inaccurate and cumbersome, requiring multiple adjustments of a pair of C-clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,554 to Boucher et al. relates to a door boring jig system. The disclosed jig includes a cumbersome backset adjustment mechanism that requires an installer to align a small hole with a pin on each of two backset-adjusting units.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,674 to Russell et al. relates to a unit lock installation jig. The ""674 patent allows for marking the proper position for the latch hole, but does not provide a latch guide for drilling the hole. Moreover, the ""674 patent only provides for a single backset.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,299 Cerf relates to a lock installation tool. Unfortunately, Cerf""s tool only provides for a single backset.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,771 to Schlage relates to a boring jig for doors. Schlage discloses for accurately marking a door for boring holes to install a lock, but does not include drill guides to ensure that the holes are drilled properly.
None of the above-cited patents provides an installation jig with the advantageous combination of quick and easy backset adjustment, automatic centering of a latch guide, multiple in-line arms to permit standard door prep on metal doors as well as wood doors, and the capability of performing standard 1xc2xd inch door preps and 2xe2x85x9 inch door preps.
The present invention overcomes the above-noted deficiencies and others in conventional door lock installation jigs by providing a lockset installation jig comprising a first jaw and a second jaw, a latch guide disposed at least partially between the first and second jaws, and an adjuster coupled to the first and second jaws and the latch guide. A first removable in-line arm is coupled to the first jaw at a first location and includes a first guide bore, the first in-line arm defining a first distance between the first guide bore and the door. A backset spacer is coupled to the latch guide for movement between a first backset position and a second backset position. Preferably, the backset spacer is rotatable and includes a detent mechanism to retain the backset spacer in one of the first backset position and the second backset position. In addition, the rotatable backset spacer further includes indicia for indicating an amount of backset.
The installation jig further includes a second removable in-line arm having a second guide bore, the second in-line arm defining a second distance between the second guide bore and the door. The second removable in-line arm is coupled to the first jaw at the first location in place of the first in-line arm. Preferably, the first jaw includes a recess and the first and second in-line arms include a base portion configured to fit in the recess when coupled to the first jaw.
The present invention also provides a method of using a lockset installation jig. The method comprises the steps of providing a lockset installation jig having first and second jaws, a removable first in-line arm coupled to the first jaw at a first location, and at least one backset spacer, removing the first in-line arm, mounting a second in-line arm at the first location, and mounting the installation jig on a door.
The method further includes the step of setting the at least one backset spacer to a desired backset, wherein the step of setting the at least one backset spacer includes the step of rotating the backset from a first backset position to a second backset position.
The present invention further provides for an installation jig kit comprising an installation jig, a plurality of hole boring tools, a first in-line arm and a second in-line arm, and at least one backset spacer. The installation jig includes a first jaw, a second jaw, a latch guide and an adjusting mechanism coupled to the first jaw, the second jaw and the latch guide.
The plurality of hole boring tools includes a plurality of tools for providing a standard 1xc2xd inch door prep including a 1xc2xd adapter ring and a 1xc2xd multi-spur bit. The plurality of hole boring tools also includes a plurality of tools for providing a standard 2xe2x85x9 inch door prep, including a 2xe2x85x9 inch multi-spur bit and a 2xe2x85x9 inch hole saw.
Preferably, the jig kit further includes a drill bit adapter for coupling the hole boring tools to a drill. The drill bit adapter includes a body having a longitudinal axis and a channel disposed in parallel spaced-apart relation to a longitudinal axis and a cap coupled to the body, wherein the body and cap cooperate to define a catch-receiving cavity therebetween. A catch is disposed in the cavity and a spring is disposed in the channel and includes a first end coupled to the body and a second end extending into the cavity and engaging the catch. A push button is disposed in the cap to actuate the catch.
The installation jig kit further comprises a carrying case, a strike locator, a 1 inch spade bit, a plurality of mortising tools, and a template measurement guide.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following portion of this specification and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate a presently preferred embodiment incorporating the principles of the invention.